2026 Puerto Rico|Puerto Ricans in Connecticut | Puerto Rican Studies Initiative for Civic Engagement and Public Policy | College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Puerto Rico|Puerto Ricans in Connecticut

(Updated 19 March 2026)

Building a Collective Economic Agenda

Friday, 20 March 2026

For access to the CTN video of the presentations click here

2^nd Annual Puerto Rico|Puerto Ricans in Connecticut Policy Summit

Saturday, 21 March 2026

Connecticut Legislative Office Building

Summit Program (PDF)

Puerto Ricans residing in Puerto Rico and in Connecticut experience some of the highest levels of socio-economic inequalities. Contemporary federal laws and policies are likely to exacerbate these inequalities. This two-day summit seeks to retake the conversation on how to develop a Puerto Rican collective agenda that can counter the latter by discussing ways to foster economic sovereignty for Puerto Rico and develop policies to address the potential impact of the “Big Beautiful Bill” on Puerto Ricans living in Connecticut. The goal of the Puerto Rico, Puerto Ricans|Connecticut summit is to provide a safe space for the discussion of policy issues and the articulation of community responses, to develop a collective agenda, that can address the particular experiences of Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico and in Connecticut. We hope that this summit can help inform law and policymakers, community leaders, academics and the public more generally on the challenges and opportunities to for the development of strategies that can counter some of the persistent socio-economic inequalities that Puerto Ricans experience.

The summit is divided in two days. During the 2025 legislative session, Connecticut lawmakers passed legislation creating a Connecticut|Puerto Rico Trade Commission, to among other things, strengthen the economic relations between Puerto Rico and the state of Connecticut. Day one of the summit (Friday, 23 January 2026) will focus on a series of panels that begin to outline the challenges and possibilities for the development of Puerto Rico’s economic sovereignty. In addition, these panels are designed to inform members of the Connecticut|Puerto Rico Trade Commission, and the public more generally, about some of the economic realities and challenges that prevail in Puerto Rico. Day two (Saturday, 24 January 2025) will center on a discussion of potential impacts of the Big Beautiful Bill on the Puerto Rican residents of Connecticut. The goal is to propose strategies that can help mitigate the socio-economic effects of proposed federal defunding of various programs.

The summit is organized as a collaboration between the University of Connecticut’s Puerto Rican Studies Initiative (UConnPRSI), the Connecticut State Legislators Puerto Rican and Latino Caucus, and the National Puerto Rican Agenda (NPRA). Our goal is to bring elected officials, community leaders, and academics to foster a Puerto Rican collective agenda in Connecticut, Puerto Rico, and the United States more generally.

CONTEXT

What do we know about the Puerto Rican economy and the socio-economic conditions of Puerto Ricans in Connecticut?
What are key economic policies that can help improve the lives of Puerto Ricans in Connecticut and Puerto Rico?
What can policies and community strategies do improve the lives of Puerto Ricans in Connecticut and Puerto Rico?

Friday, 20 March 2026

8:00-9:00am Lobby	Coffee and Registration
9:00-9:30am Room 310 Connecticut State Capitol	Welcome Remarks State Representative Minnie Gonzalez, Connecticut General Assembly Governor Ned Lamont, State of Connecticut (Invited) President Radenka Maric, University of Connecticut (Invited) Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera U.S. Congress (Virtual) For a copy of the presentation please click here
9:30-9:50am Room 310 Connecticut State Capitol	Strengthening Puerto Rico’s Economy: An Overview Professor Charles R. Venator-Santiago, Director, UConnPRSI Goal: What is entailed in strengthening Puerto Rico’s economy? What is the goal of the summit? What to expect?
10:00-10:50am Room 310 Connecticut State Capitol	Opening Plenary: Advancing Sustainable Economic Development in Puerto Rico Dr. Edwin Meléndez, Professor Emeritus Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY) Summary: Pursuing sustainable economic development in Puerto Rico requires a reformist, evidence-based strategy that addresses structural and import-driven cost-of-living challenges—particularly in energy, food, and housing. Leveraging circular economy principles and maximizing local labor and resources, the proposed strategy would target local initiatives in energy, agriculture, waste recycling, and neighborhood revitalization. By advancing civic engagement and effective policy execution, the strategy aims to create jobs, reduce household costs, and foster resilient communities. For a video of the presentation please click here
11:00am-12:15pm Room 310 Connecticut State Capitol	Contextualizing the Puerto Rico’s Economy and Puerto Rican Migration, and the Puerto Rican GDP Moderator Ramón Borges-Mendez, Ph.D. Department of Sustainability and Social Justice, Clark University Panelists Dr. José Caraballo Cueto Understanding Puerto Rico’s Economy University of Puerto Rico Dr. Carlos Vargas Ramos Understanding Puerto Rican Migration CENTRO: Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Hunter College, CUNY Luis Palomino Towards a Puerto Rican GDP UConnPRSI Goal: What are the contours of the Puerto Rico’s economy? What are the strengths and weaknesses of Puerto Rico’s economic infrastructure? How can we understand Puerto Rican migration? What is the Puerto Rican GDP in the United States, Puerto Rico and Connecticut? For a video of the presentation please click here
12:15 – 1:15pm Room 310 Connecticut State Capitol	Lunch Welcome Remarks U.S. Senator Chris Murphy United States Senate Senator Richard Blumenthal, United States Senate
1:15-2:30pm Room 310 Connecticut State Capitol	What Federal Data is Available About the Puerto Rican Economy? Moderator Professor Charles R. Venator-Santiago, Director, UConnPRSI Panelists Michael A. Lopez-Pelliccia Economic Programs U.S. Census Bureau Mauricio Ortiz Associate Director for Regional Economics Bureau of Economic Analysis U.S. Department of Commerce Roberto Ramirez Assistant Division Chief, Special Population Statistics Population Division U.S. Census Bureau Goal: What data is available about the Puerto Rican economy? What do we know about Puerto Rico’s GDP and GNP? What is Puerto Rico’s trade with the United States? With Connecticut? What do we know about imports and exports to Puerto Rico? For a video of the presentation please click here
2:30 – 3:15pm Room 310 Connecticut State Capitol	Connecticut\|Puerto Rico Trade Study Commission Roundtable Commissioner and State Representative Chris Rosario Connecticut General Assembly Speaker Carlos Johnny Méndez Núñez Puerto Rico Legislature Commissioner and State Representative Juan Candelaria Connecticut General Assembly State Representative Eddie Charbonier Puerto Rico Legislature Commissioner and State Representative Geraldo Reyes Connecticut General Assembly Commissioner Rubén Rodriguez Puerto Rico Study Trade Commission State Representative Stephen Meskers Chair, Commerce Committee Connecticut General Assembly Goal: What is the Connecticut\|Puerto Rico Trade Commission? What are its goals? What does the commission need to know to develop an effective trade relationship between Connecticut and Puerto Rico? For a video of the presentation please click here
3:15-4:00pm Room 310 Connecticut State Capitol	Closing Remarks & Reception Dr. Charles R. Venator-Santiago Director, UConnPRSI Goal: What’s next? Where do we go from here? What are our next forums?
Fundraising Reception 6:00-10:00pm 1064 Main Street East Hartford, CT	Puerto Rican & Latino Legislative Caucus Fundraising Reception

Saturday, 21 January 2026

8:00 – 9:00am	Coffee and Registration
9:00 – 9:40am Public Hearing Room 2C	Welcome Remarks State Representative Minnie Gonzalez Connecticut General Assembly Nilda Ruiz National Puerto Rican Agenda (NPRA) Joe Rodriguez National Puerto Rican Agenda\|Connecticut David Embrick Director, Research and Community Engagement Professor, Sociology & Africana Studies University of Connecticut\|Hartford
9:40-10:10am Public Hearing Room 2C	Introductory Overview Dr. Charles R. Venator-Santiago Director, UConnPRSI Goal: To provide a framework for the summit - Why are we here today? How do the panels and breakout session structure the conference. Discuss importance of addressing core questions in group discussions: What do we know about Puerto Ricans in Connecticut? Explain goals for the conference and expectations for the future.
10:10 – 10:25am	Break
10:25am -11:00am Public Hearing Room 2C	Plenary Panel: Connecticut Puerto Rican and Latino Legislative Caucus State Representative Minnie Gonzalez Connecticut General Assembly Commissioner and State Representative Chris Rosario Connecticut General Assembly Commissioner and State Representative Juan Candelaria Connecticut General Assembly Commissioner and State Representative Geraldo Reyes Connecticut General Assembly State Representative Antonio Felipe Connecticut General Assembly State Representative Aundre Bumgardner Connecticut General Assembly Goal: To provide an overview of what the Puerto Rican and Latino Legislative Caucus legislators are doing in Connecticut today and what are their priorities. What is key legislation that affect Puerto Ricans in Connecticut? What can policies and community strategies do?
Concurrent Sessions 1 11:10am – 12:00pm	Concurrent Sessions. Concurrent breakout sessions promote active and deliberative engagement of multiple stakeholders in the solution of urgent social problems and add the development of community and policy strategies. The UConnPRSI, El Instituto, PR&LLC and the NPRA main goals as organizations is to cultivate relations with a broad constituency, which is understood to be essential to carrying our mission. For our purposes, we consider business, nonprofit organizations, elected officials, academics, the media and community leaders to be essential stakeholders to our mission. The breakout sessions are organized by groups that represent the existing organizational structure of the Puerto Ricans in Connecticut. The common questions posed to breakout sessions are: What can we do? The groups will be asked to evaluate the potential for research and advocacy to have an impact on the definition and understanding of social, economic, and policy problems; the window of opportunity opened to policy and community leaders concerned with the implementation of solutions to the problem; and the likelihood of affecting public policies and mediating social institutions that influence outcomes for Connecticut Puerto Rican communities. Who is going to do it? The conference will help produce an inventory of resources, a directory of individuals and organizations that can collaborate in the near future (within the next year after the conference) to support projects that would result in relevant research, promote the utilization of that research by stakeholders, and assess discernable impact on social outcomes. What can the UConnPRSI, the PR&LLC, and NPRA do? Puerto Ricans in Connecticut have garnered more political power than any other state in the nation. Puerto Ricans in Connecticut have the highest representations of elected officials than any other state. This power has motivated the Connecticut Puerto Rican communities to engage in a broad range of issues and strategies all with the common goal of strengthening the voices of Puerto Ricans in the state. The UConnPRSI, PR&LLC, and NPRA could play a unique role as a convener and network builder, as a think tank and source of reliable information, and as a documentarian of the process.
Concurrent Roundtable 1 Public Hearing Room 2A	Fair Rent and Rent Control in Connecticut Roundtable State Representative Antonio Felipe Connecticut General Assembly Commissioner and State Representative Juan Candelaria Connecticut General Assembly Wildaliz Bermudez Executive Director of Fair Rent, City of New Haven Seila Mosquera-Bruno State of Connecticut Commissioner of Housing Chelsea Connery CT Fair Housing Center Goal: Two-thirds of Puerto Rican residents in Connecticut live on rental housing. New federal policies are likely to negatively impact Section 8 and rental assistance programs. This panel will discuss some pending legislative proposals to introduce rent control and other measures designed to create affordable housing in Connecticut. In addition, this panel seeks to examine the potential impact of these (and other) housing law and policy changes in Connecticut on Puerto Rican residents of the state.
Concurrent Roundtable 2 Public Hearing Room 2B	Puerto Ricans and Electrical Rates in Connecticut Roundtable State Senator John Fonfara (Invited) Connecticut General Assembly State Representative Aundre Bumgardner Connecticut General Assembly Volodymyr Gupan Policy Director, UConnPRSI Goal: The state of Connecticut has one of the highest electricity rates in the nation, yet at times it has exported about half of the energy that it generates. This panel will discuss some legislative proposals designed to reduce costs of energy purchases and affordability of electricity for Puerto Ricans in Connecticut.
Concurrent Roundtable 3 Public Hearing Room 2C	K-12 School Closures in Connecticut Moderator Chris Soto Former CT State Representative & Senior Advisor U.S. Department of Education Roundtable Cristher Estrada Perez Board of Education Hartford Public Schools Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez, Founder Lidera LTR Consulting Millie Arciniegas Parent University José Ramos School Governance Council Chair at Burns Latino Studies Academy Goal: Low enrollments in K-12 schools have prompted school closures throughout the state. This panel examines the debates for and against school closures in Connecticut. It also examines the implications for Puerto Rican families in the state.
Concurrent Roundtable 4 Public Hearing Room 2D	The Council: Working Towards Prosperous and Thriving Communities Roundtable Caesar Valentín Social Equity Program Success and Strategy Analyst The Council Jessie Coleman Social Equity Program Success and Strategy Analyst The Council Mariedy Collazo Chief Program Officer The Council Brandon McGee Chief Executive Officer The Council Goal: This panel will provide participants with information defining the Council and its mission. The panel will provide an overview of current programs and initiatives. The panel will also provide an overview of the Council’s Community Reinvestment Program.
Concurrent Roundtable 5 Public Hearing Room 2E	Latinas in Leadership Institute (LiLI): From Research to Action: Leading with Purpose, Latinas Driving Change in Our Communities Moderator Marilyn Alverio Founder and CEO, Latinas in Leadership Institute (LiLI) Participants Christina Mercado – Health Inequity Adult Education Instructor and Advocate Bloomfield Public Library Julia DeFeo (she, her) - Under representation of Latinas on Boards, Commissions and Politics Executive Director Wilson-Gray YMCA Cheila Serrano - The Unrealized Power of the Latino Voter Director of Programs at Junta for Progressive Action Jackie Santiago Nazario - Retreat Reflections Chief Executive Officer at COMPASS Youth Collaborative Sabrina Herrera Latino Initiative Editor, Connecticut Public The Latinas in Leadership Institute session showcases the program’s impact in advancing Latina economic mobility, career growth, and civic leadership. Graduates will present team-based research papers addressing key issues affecting the Latino community, with several projects having been published in industry magazines. This session highlights the Institute’s role in developing a strong pipeline of advocates and leaders driving meaningful community and policy change.
Concurrent Roundtable 6 Atrium	Puerto Ricans and the Media in Connecticut and Puerto Rico Roundtable Itzel Rivera *El Nuevo Dia* Rachel Iacovone (she/they) Puerto Rican Communities Reporter Connecticut Public Norma Rodriguez-Reyes La Voz Hispana de Connecticut Freddy Ramirez *El Show de* *Analeh, NBC-Telemundo* Goal: What coverage are Puerto Ricans receiving from the media? Partnerships like the one between Connecticut Public and El Nuevo Dia present Puerto Ricans in more complex ways and can foster more civic or community engagement. This panel examines how the media is describing the Puerto Rican experience and what is the impact of these approaches. The panel will also examine what role can the media play to address the potential impact of new federal legislation on Puerto Ricans quality of life.
Lunch 12:15 – 1:45pm	Networking Lunch
Wrapping Up 2:00-2:30pm	What Have We Learned, Where Do We Go From Here? Moderators: State Representative Minnie Gonzalez and Dr. Charles R. Venator-Santiago Goal: In this session, moderators of each breakout session present a brief summary of conference participants’ view on What can the UConnPRSI and the PR&LLC can do to support growing interest to support Puerto Ricans in Connecticut? What should be the priorities as conveners and network builders, as think tanks and sources of reliable information, and as catalysts of the solidarity movement? How do these roles benefit specific community groups given the state of their sector institutions and priorities as a social movement? Describe three issues that should be a priority?

*** NPRA is going to hold a hybrid (zoom & in-person) board meeting sometime during the Saturday afternoon – this will be open to public

For more information, please contact Charles R. Venator-Santiago at either charles.venator@uconn.edu or at 413-219-5933.

Phone:	(413) 219-5933
E-mail:	charles.venator@uconn.edu
Address:	El Instituto: Institute of Latina/o, Caribbean and Latin American Studies College of Liberal Arts and Sciences University of Connecticut Ryan Building 2nd floor 2006 Hillside Road, Unit 1161 Storrs, Connecticut 06269-1161